Hello Hermione
by iminyourimagination
Summary: Ron ponders Hermione just before she arrives at the Burrow  dh , and comes to realise that he was not just being protective of her, but there was another reason for his behaviour.


Ron was bored. Super bored. So bored in fact, that he had sunk so low as to watch the nothingness through his window. It was a normal summer's day, but everything seemed so still. So _boring_. He didn't know what he was waiting for, but he knew that whatever it was seemed to be taking its time to arrive. Then, he saw a familiar head drift into view, as his sister's long auburn hair swayed as she ran toward the one of the fields which surrounded the house, carrying his old broom. He would go down to her, but he couldn't be bothered to move from his tattered and squishy chair; he was far too comfy.

He had been thinking so hard recently he needed a little time off from all the brain power. He was about to embark on probably one of the most dangerous trips known to man. And woman, now he came to mention it, and he would be starting on practically nothing, only with two of the best friends he ever had: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

Hermione...she was a whole new story completely. Why had he been so cruel to her the previous school year, he didn't know, but all he thought about now was making sure he didn't do it again, as he saw how hurt she was as the whole lavender thing got worse and worse. He didn't even _like_ that girl; she was too giggly and bubbly for him. He found out soon after he began to date her that he preferred a girl who had more integrity, who could teach him a valuable lesson and was smart enough to know what and what didn't cross lines. Someone who wasn't soppy, but wasn't completely like a teacher towards him all the time; someone who could make him laugh and vice versa and understand him fully...someone like Hermione.

She was so clever! It was unbelievable. She claimed that she was rubbish at maths in her old school, but she always puts herself down. She was always someone to turn to when in need of serious advice or help, and someone who he felt almost obliged to be with lately, and if he didn't, he was committing some sort of awful crime to himself by missing spending time with her, as he wanted to cram it all in for the amount he missed when she was avoiding him. Ron also agreed with her and didn't blame her for her slippery tactics; shrinking away when most convenient and going unnoticed, but he had heard her in empty classrooms before, sobbing and sniffling, hissing at herself to pull herself together because she was '_not a coward or a wimp. Stop crying and get on with life! He's nothing..._' Ron supposed that he only went out with Lavender to get back at her for Krum, which she claimed never happened, but he could tell full well that it did. He also noticed that they were behaving differently towards each other by the end of fifth year: he was sure there was some inkling inside him when they were fourteen, with all this ball rubbish, he half expected to go with her by the end of it, but he made the mistake of asking her too late and leaving it to her darling Viktor to take his place. I realised that she was very offended by the fact that he didn't know she was a girl. Of course he knew! He just didn't waltz around pointing it out every second of the darned day, shouting it in her face! Some people had been very obvious about it, mainly McClaggen, who had taken to staring at her, and not always at her face. But why did Ron notice this? It wasn't because he was doing the same thing. Most of the time, anyway...

Was it because he was just being loyal and protective of his friend? Was he just angry that people didn't have respect for her? Or was he jealous...no. no, of course not. Why would he be jealous? Hermione was a friend, and one who he valued dearly, but maybe he really was beginning to like her more. he hadn't admitted it to himself yet, but he knew very well that he wasn't too concerned about 'fraternising with the enemy', but his grudge for Krum seemed to come out of the fact that Hermione looked so nice and different in that dress of hers, and that he didn't want anyone else to go with her if he couldn't. But she always seemed to look beautiful these days, and it didn't matter about what dress she wore or if her hair was sleeked back or not, because she was just Hermione. The Hermione that told him off for shovelling his food into his mouth too quick, the Hermione that gave him a huge hug in third year for his niceness, the Hermione that told him that he had a similar emotional range as a piece of cutlery. The Hermione that he had that odd tingling sensation every time she smiled at him. The Hermione that he loved.

All of a sudden, a knock on the door echoed throughout the multi-story house and he heaved himself out of the chair to run down the four flights of stairs to see who it was. It wasn't Ginny, because she was out in the back fields, which took forever to get to, and anyway, she didn't need to knock on the door; she lived here.

He flew down the steps as he pondered who it was.

'Damn it! It's Hermione!' he hit himself on the forehead. She was due to arrive this evening, and as he sprinted to the front door, he saw her brown mass of hair through the coloured glass window in the door. He heaved it open to find a half upset, half smiling Hermione standing there with a small beaded bag; she'd been crying. Probably because of her parents.

'hi,' he smiled and greeted her in.

'hello.' She said shakily, but before she did anything else, she gave him a huge hug, which he replied with equal force. They didn't have to say anything, as they were comfortable enough as they were, slotting perfectly together. Mrs. Weasley shuffled into the kitchen to find her youngest son hugging one of his best friends like there was no tomorrow, his thumb gently stroking her hair. Molly backed out again with a smile; why ruin the best moment they'd had together in a long while, when she could watch and sniffle to herself. She would have to inform Arthur of this new development; they were Ron and Hermione once more.


End file.
